Having quieted critics ---- somewhat ---- in his first two seasons, Turner has Chargers eyeing elusive Super Bowl title

Turner wants his teams to peak in December but doesn't want a
repeat of last season, when a 4-8 start contributed to a .500
regular-season record and nearly kept a supposed Super Bowl
contender out of the playoffs.

"There are peaks and valleys in the early part of a season, and
you've got to handle those," Turner said. "Everything doesn't go as
smoothly as you'd like."

Turner's relationship with the players couldn't be much better
at this point. He puts them in position to succeed and gives them
the freedom to improvise.

"As schematic as he can be, he allows his quarterbacks to be
football players," Rivers said. "That's the most important thing.
He can throw ideas galore at you, but he always allows you to read,
react and be a football player. That's true for any position. He
doesn't want you to be a robot."

Turner treats his players like adults and doesn't feel the need
to be a taskmaster. There's no need for rah-rah speeches when the
team is already motivated by a common goal ---- to win the Super
Bowl and win it now.

The Chargers came out of training camp healthy, focused and set
on fixing problems of the past. The talent remains, but there is a
new level of maturity, they say.

"This is a very unselfish group," Turner said. "They know what
their ultimate goal is. and I think they're pretty focused on doing
what they have to do to reach that goal."